Before he was aware some one had sprung over the back of the car and had thrown a pair of strong arms around him.

Then the man in front ran up, jumped in and took the steering wheel, quickly backing the car and turning into a narrow lane a few rods behind.

Jack, meanwhile, had been blindfolded and gagged by the man who had seized him from behind and had no idea where he was going.

He was held tight as well and could not move, his captor being evidently a very powerful man.

"I'd like to know what this means, so close to town," he thought. "If it were two or three miles out I should not wonder and yet I have never been molested as long as I have been driving the car, or was I when I carried fruit and returned with money in my pocket."

By this time it was dark but if it had not been it would have made little difference to Jack with a heavy bandage over his eyes which shut out all light.

They were running on the level, as he knew by the motion but at length they began to ascend a considerable rise, the speed being increased and the car being higher in front.

The boy was utterly in the dark as to the identity of his captors or their intentions and could not hazard a guess on either point.

If robbery were intended why had they not searched him at the start and if they only wanted the car why had they taken him along with them instead of getting rid of him at once?

All these things set him to thinking and he had plenty of time for it as the car seemed to have no intention of stopping but kept right on, now up, now down, but all the time at a rapid gait.

It must have been fully an hour from the time he had been seized when the car began to slow down and then stopped but where he was Jack could not, of course, have any idea.

"I wonder if this is a hazing joke of some of the fellows?" he asked himself. "Billy Manners would be up to just such a trick. Perhaps we are at the Academy now and they are ready to have a great laugh at my expense. I don't see what else it could be."

There was no sound to be heard, however, as there would be if they were near the Academy and Jack was as much puzzled as ever when he was lifted out of the car and taken somewhere, where he could not tell.

He was placed upon a bench but whether it were out of doors or in he had no notion.

He knew no more when the bandage was taken off his eyes and the gag removed, for all was as dark as pitch, the car either having been taken away or the lights put out, for he could see nothing.

"You set quiet," some one said to him. "We ain't going to hurt you but you're goin' to stay with us for a spell."

"Who are you and where am I and what are you going to do?" Jack asked, being unable to see any one.

"Never mind askin' questions," returned the other. "We ain't goin' to hurt you, that's all, an' you needn't be afraid o' nothing."

"Yes, but why have I been brought here and where am I anyhow?"

There was no answer and Jack suddenly became aware that he was alone.

He had not been bound and now he arose, felt in his pockets and presently produced matches, not having carried his pocket flashlight with him.

He struck a match and looked around him, finding that he was in a roughly finished room like a shop or a workman's shack, with two barred windows on one side and a closed door opposite, there being a straight ladder reaching to some place above, probably the sleeping quarters of the men who worked here.

This much he saw before the match burned out, seeing no one and hearing not a sound.

He tried the door and found it locked, the shutters of the windows being fastened on the outside for he could not open them.

"It is clear enough that I am a prisoner here," he mused, "but for what purpose?"

There seemed to be no answer to the question and he gave up trying to find one but sat down and waited for somebody to return.



CHAPTER XXII

LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT

Jack had been sitting in the dark for several minutes when he heard a sound from the loft overhead.

Some one was stirring, there was a yawn, then a step on the floor and then some one said impatiently:

"Hello, down there! Can't you show a light? Where are you all, anyway, and what time is it?"

The boy started for he knew that voice and had hoped that he would never again hear it.

It was that of the man with the white mustache and the dark hair and eyebrows whom he had met in the woods near the foot of the hill leading from the Academy.

He said nothing and then he heard steps moving about in the loft and the man spoke again.

"I'll fall down there before I know it. There's a hole somewhere, but where is it? Hello, there! can't you show a light? Isn't there anyone about? Where have you all gone?"

Then he heard a footstep on the ladder and knew that the man was coming down, grumbling as before.

"What's that man doing here?" he thought. "I had hoped I would never see him again. If he is not careful he will be taken and spend more of his time in prison."

Then a thought occurred to him and he said quietly:

"Wait a moment and I will give you a light."

There was a startled exclamation and then the man asked:

"Who is that? Is that you, John Sheldon?"

"Yes, it is I."

"What are you doing here? Have you come to hunt me down?"

"No, I am a prisoner but I don't know who brought me here. I have not come to hunt you down. I did not know that you were anywhere about and I don't know where I am myself."

Then the boy lighted a match and looked around him, seeing an old rusty tin candlestick with the butt of a candle in it on a shelf under one of the windows.

He lighted this and the man came forward, looked fixedly in his face and said:

"You say you are a prisoner here? How did that happen?"

"I was run away with by two men who jumped into the runabout I was driving when I stopped but I don't know who they are nor why they did it. Why do you remain in this neighborhood? Don't you know it's dangerous to be so near the place where——"

"You had a runabout? Yours?"

"No, a friend's. I was down at Riverton on business and was just going back to the Academy."

"Where is it? Is it a fast one?"

"Yes, but——"

"You are right about the danger of remaining here but we are not as near the place as you think. This place must be miles away and nowhere near the river. It is safe enough but if I had a good car and a fair start I could——"

There was a step outside and then the turning of a key in a lock and the door was opened.

Two men were outside, both rough looking fellows whom Jack had not seen before and one of them now said:

"Waitin' for your supper? Hungry, are you? Well, we'll fix up something in a jiffy and then you can go to bed as soon as you like. Hello! there wasn't two of you, was there?"

"What are you keeping the boy here for?" asked the man with Jack.

"I donno, some business of keeping him away from school till arter examinations, I guess, but I don't see why that should worry him. I never was anxious to go to school myself and if anybody had said I shouldn't it wouldn't have bothered me none," with a hoarse laugh.

"Keep me away from school till after examination?" thought Jack. "Oh, I see! This is a plot of some of the Hilltop boys, Herring and his set, no doubt. No one else would do it."

"Where have Byke and Tyke gone?" asked the man.

"To take back a car. We don't want it."

"Ha! I might have wanted it myself," muttered the other. "Why didn't they let me know?"

"Couldn't tell you. Friend of theirs, hey? Well, they'll come back after a bit. Folks don't like to have other fellows' autos with 'em. It ain't allus safe."

"No, but I could have taken it back as well as they could and I wanted to go that way besides."

"Well, we come to get supper for the boy and to see that he didn't get away. If you want to go it ain't nothin' to us as I know."

One of the men now unfastened one of the windows while the other went outside where there was a rusty little cook stove and began to make a fire.

Then the other got some bacon and a half dozen potatoes from a locker under the shelf, produced a greasy frying-pan from a dusty corner and went outside to get the supper.

"I would have taken the car and got away," muttered the strange man. "This is far enough away but it might not be safe for all that and the sooner I get away the better."

"The car will be missed and advertised," replied Jack, "and you would be taken. Where were you going?"

"Out West somewhere. It is not safe around here nowadays."

"If you had lived a decent life it would have been safe for you anywhere, George Williamson," said Jack.

"Sh! not a word! they don't know me and I don't want them to," cautioned the man, looking anxiously about him. "What you say may be true but it's too late now. Don't you feel sorry for your father, Jack?"

"You are not my father and I wish that neither my mother nor I had ever seen you. You made her life miserable, wasted the money my father had left her, ill-treated and abused her and then showed yourself what you were, a burglar and thief! Is it any wonder that my mother should want to take her first husband's name again when we moved as far away as we could from the scene of your evil deeds?"

"Maybe not," said the other carelessly. "Have you any money, Jack? I would like to have some to get me to the nearest seaport town."

"You said you were going west."

"Well, to some good and far away town, then. That will do."

"I have very little money with me but I could get it if I thought you would go away never to see my mother again. There is little use in asking you to promise for you have promised before."

"I saw you this time only by accident, Jack," replied the man. "Never mind. I will go so far away this time that you will never see me. So you would help me, would you?" with an odd smile.

"Only to keep you away from my mother," Jack answered. "You never did me any good and I have no reason to like you. If I helped you it would be for my mother's sake alone."

"And you are a prisoner here, so that you will not be able to pass the examinations?" asked the other carelessly.

"Yes, so it seems, but I do not mean to be kept here."

"You can get away now, Jack, if you wish it," said the other in a low tone. "I'll do that much for you for all that you don't do things for me on my own account. Do you wish to leave here?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then I will help you get away, will go with you till everything is safe. Maybe I did not treat your mother right, Jack. Never mind that now. I can help you and I will. Come, there is no time like the present."

The two stepped to the door when one of the rough fellows said, putting himself in the way:

"Here, Mister, you can go if you like but not the boy. We've got orders to keep him here."

"And I have a notion to take him away with me and if you oppose me it will be the worst for you."

The man attempted to argue the point and was promptly knocked down.



CHAPTER XXIII

ON THE WAY HOME

Jack and the stranger flew out of the house, the latter saying in a low tone:

"Follow me! I know the way out of this tangle better than you do."

There was a rough road in front of the shack but lost itself in the woods in one direction and wandered off among the mountains in another so that it was necessary for one to know all its changes and branches to keep from getting lost.

The man who had been knocked down raised a shout and he and his companion set off in pursuit of Jack.

His guide ran swiftly but Jack was a good runner and kept up with him, the two pursuers being speedily left behind.

They at length came out into a more open part of the road and here the moon shone bright and gave them all the light they needed.

"Keep on this way for a time," said Jack's guide, "and we will be far enough away to elude those scamps. I don't think they care to keep up the race long in any event."

They hurried on although at a less swift pace for ten minutes and then, neither seeing nor hearing any sign of pursuit, went less rapidly.

"We can slow up a bit again in a few minutes," said the stranger. "It is a good distance from your place, I take it and you will need some time to reach it. Perhaps you can get a conveyance but the country is not very thickly settled about here."

At last, after going at a fast walk for some little time they came out into an open space where the moon shone brightly and there was an extensive view of the country.

In the distance Jack could see the river flowing on majestically in the moonlight between the towering hills which here and there cast deep shadows, here the channel being quite narrow and again widening into broad lakes where all was bright.

They were at a considerable height and, pausing for some moments and looking down upon the river he at length began to recognize certain points and said to his guide:

"I think I know where I am but it is some distance still to go where I wish to go. I can take a road through the mountain passes and reach home by daylight."

"Home?" questioned the other.

"Well, I mean the Academy. I call it home while I am there."

"It is cold and it will be colder when you get into the passes where it is dark."

"Yes, but I can walk fast. I know many of these passes and I can take short cuts. You will not wish to return to the river?"

"No, but come on, I am in haste."

They hurried on, descending a little and passed through some woods where they could not see the river.

When they came in sight of it again the man said:

"Go on and rejoin your comrades. I will go another way. You can get back from here?"

"Yes, without much trouble. Where are you going?"

"Away, where you will never see me again!" and the man suddenly darted down a forest path.

"I hope he will do better," said Jack to himself, "but I don't know. He says he has tried to do so before but he never succeeded. I hope he will do so this time but I do not want to see him again. I cannot get over my past recollections."

He took another path and at length came to a pass through the hills which would cut off a considerable distance provided he did not lose his way by taking a wrong turn and he decided to hazard it.

Overhead there were great round peaks about which the clouds always seemed to hover, about him were giant trees which seemed to be hundreds of years old and as he walked on the shadows stretched deep and mysterious before him so that he might well pause for fear of going astray or of meeting unwelcome companions.

In a short time he came out upon a level stretch of ground whence he could easily see how the land lay and pick out a path back to the river and the nearest town to Hilltop.

He set out at a good walk and reached a village below the station at the foot of the hill whence he could make his way across at about eight o'clock in the morning.

"I can get to the Academy in time for school," he said to himself, "and give somebody a surprise. I'd like to know what they are thinking of now but I know what they will think when they see me walk in to take my examinations."

He had calculated the time correctly for as he reached the top of the hill in front of the Academy and saw the well-known buildings stretching out before him he heard the warning bell which told him he must hasten.

The boys were already indoors and Jack hurried on, entered and went to the great schoolroom, taking his seat and saying quietly while all the boys looked at him in astonishment:

"I am sorry to have been detained, sir but I trust that I am in here in time for the first examination."

Then, although it was against the rules, the majority of the boys raised a joyous shout and gave three hearty cheers.



CHAPTER XXIV

HOW IT ALL CAME OUT

There had been a good deal of anxiety the night before when Jack had failed to return and all sorts of reasons were assigned for his absence.

Then late at night Dick's car was returned by a constable who said he had found it in the road just outside the town of Riverton and, recognizing it and knowing that there had been inquiries made about it, had brought it back.

This did not explain Jack's absence, however, and many telephone messages were sent to various parts of the town, enquiring for him.

Mr. Brooke reported his having been to the office and others remembered having seen him but where he had gone and why the car had been abandoned were puzzles that no one could solve.

When Jack himself appeared at the last moment and announced that he was ready to begin his examinations there was a general rejoicing but the mystery was as deep as ever for the boy would not answer any questions at the time, merely repeating that he had been detained but was glad that he was no later.

Then he set to work upon the first of his papers and no one disturbed him for two hours when he went outside and said to Percival who had finished his paper:

"Somebody did not want me to take this examination but I am taking it and that is all there is to say about it."

"But where have you been, Jack?"

"Up in the hills, miles away from here. I stayed with a hermit who might have been Rip Van Winkle himself during a part of the night and set out for Hilltop some time after sunrise, just making it in time."

"Yes, but Jack, what did you do it for?" and Dick showed that he was greatly puzzled as well as distressed. "Didn't you know that the boys would be worried?"

"I am not so fond of going off miles away by myself and then walking back as to do a thing of that sort willingly, Dick," laughed Jack. "I was run away with, abducted, kept a prisoner, released by a man who has been a prisoner himself, walked for miles through the mountain passes, stayed with a hermit and his dog and finally got back here just in time. Did you get your car?"

"Yes, and that's what worried us for we did not know what had become of you. Tell me all about it?"

"There is not time," with a laugh, "but I will tell you some things. You remember the man with the white mustache?"

"Yes, of course."

"He was up in the mountains where my captors took me and it was he who got me free and afterward left me, going I know not where. I told you I would tell you who he is one day."

"Yes, so you did but if you don't like to——"

"I don't mind telling you, Dick. The man is my stepfather and you can easily see why I was agitated when I heard that he was about and then when I met him. He has been in prison for a number of years and then my mother was happy, safe and comfortable. His being free again made me worry for I hoped that he never would trouble us again."

"So you would."

"Now he has gone I don't know where and we need not say any more or think any more about him."

"But who ran off with you, Jack, and why?"

"Men I had never seen before. They were hired by some one who does not want me to take the examinations and so lose my standing in school. It does not really matter who they are, Dick."

"It does matter to me, Jack," said Percival, excitedly, "for if I find out who they are they will be glad enough to leave the school themselves. Have you no idea, Jack?"

"Oh, I have an idea, of course, but suspicion is not proof as I told you once before so suppose we let it pass."

"Well, just as you like but that is not what I should do," returned Dick, evidently disappointed.

"But as I am the person most interested and as that is the way I feel about it, why not let it go at that?" and Jack smiled.

"Oh, very well, just as you like," and no more was said.

Dick told the other boys what Jack had told him of his adventures and many of them were for making an investigation but as Dick told them that their friend did not care for this they concluded to let the matter drop and there it rested.

Herring and Merritt and others were suspected but nothing was said to them and they kept away from Jack and his particular friends and it was not long before this affair was forgotten.

The examinations continued and at the end of them when the reports were made, Jack was found to have passed the highest of any one in his class in all but two of his studies and within one or two of first place in the others.

This would give him a good lead for the rest of the term and help him in the final examinations at the end of the school year, his standing having greatly improved since he had come to the Academy.

"You have done well, old chap," said Billy. Manners, "and I want to see you do better yet the next time."

"I am going to try to at any rate, Billy," said Jack.

"Old Bull is getting very cranky these days," Billy added. "He is getting to be more of a martinet than ever and would keep us drilling from morning till night if he had his way. I fancy he thinks this is another West Point."

"Perhaps he remembers how you fooled him with the mad dog alarm," laughed Jack.

"He did not know it at the time or I would have been put on guard duty all night. Anyhow, there will be trouble if he keeps up this everlasting drilling. I don't believe the doctor cares for it but the doctor is a good old fellow and never says anything about what any of his instructors does. He is as mild mannered as an old woman."

"How did you come out yourself in your examinations?" Jack asked.

"Pretty good, but I like fun too much to do any overtime in study. Maybe I would have done better but for that."

"Perhaps you would but I would rather have you full of fun than going about grumbling and complaining against everybody as some of the boys here are in the habit of doing."

"Yes, I know who you mean and they did not pass very high either. If they are not more studious for the rest of this term they will be told to go somewhere else at the end of it."

The work began again in a short time and Jack devoted himself as sedulously to his work as before, while, at the same time, he indulged in all the sports that boys like best and excelled in them, making more friends every day and making those he had already made more and more fond of him.

Percival stood high in his classes as usual for, as he said, he was looking for Jack to catch up with him and, therefore, wanted to keep as far ahead as possible and to make himself stronger to meet his friend when the latter should have reached his rank.

As Billy Manners had said, there seemed to be trouble brewing in the Academy, not only on account of Colonel Bull but for other reasons and those who were in the way of observing the signs closely in such institutions were of the opinion that the clouds would not be long in breaking.

Those who have been interested in the careers of Jack Sheldon and his friends at the Academy thus far may find something more of this in the next volume which is called "The Hilltop Boys in Camp," wherein are told many things now only hinted at.

"It is my opinion that if troubles do arise we will find Jack taking as strong a part for the right as he always has," said Dick to Harry and Arthur one day when they were talking of these matters.

"Then if we happen to be in the wrong he will go against us, do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I should not be surprised."

"Yes, but how do you know we will be in the wrong?"

"I don't; we must wait and see."

THE END